One death changes the world
by Rosie eisoR
Summary: Jon died in the Ysandir fight. Alanna now has to cope with a different knightmaster, and a different monarch! Whew. What a change.
1. Random

Roger smiled graciously at the two young men before him. His charisma could capture the nation. Actually, it was. Gareth the Younger returned the smile, but the other boy, Alan of Trebond, looked bored. Before, Roger had been told Alan was simply upset about the Prince's death, but there seemed to be something else. Roger put it to the back of his mind. A troubled squire was the least of his worries now that he was to be king. True, Alan was no ordinary squire, having saved the Prince from the Sweating Sickness and defeated the Ysandir single-handedly. Confusion flickered into Alan's purple eyes as Roger's own examined the youth. Those unusual eyes, filled with power and passion, were surrounded by unnaturally long lashes, for a boy anyway. The boy looked like a god, lost in the Mortal Realms. Roger knew Alan's powerful looks were deceiving. He was some form of a simpleton, not a divine power. No matter how many time he beat boys twice his size, Roger kept telling himself this. It wasn't like he faced any competition from the tiny fireball. Roger laughed inwardly. He knew what was going to happen to Alan, who had never been particularly fond of his friend's cousin, if the squire protested.  
Alanna shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Why was he taking so long? She glanced up at her knight master. Gary had gained frown lines and almost lost the mischievous glint in his brown eyes. 'It's all his fault,' she thought, violet eyes returning to the culprit. 'Without his schemes and plans, the King and Queen would still be alive, and Jon...' She bit her lip and forced her gaze to the floor, where Faithful, the cat that had jumped out of Jon's burning body, lay growling fiercely. The cat was the only thing that understood her, after Jon's death. Gary wouldn't properly talk to her anymore, and she was pushed to be an outsider, at the time she needed people most.   
"I am glad you decide to fight for me." Roger began.   
'I will pretend to fight for you until I can kill you,' Alanna thought. 'Destroy you, do to you what you've done to my life. Ruin you. Make you beg for mercy, an end to the pain. I'll do it for Jon.'   
-We'll get him- Faithful told his mistress. -But remember three things; no one knows your sex, no one can know you hate him, and no one knows he killed the Prince.-   
"I do."   
"Sorry?" With a start, Alanna realised she must have spoken aloud.   
"I do... decide to fight for you," she stammered.   
Roger narrowed his eyes. Someday he'd find out Alan's secret. For now, though, the young man was safe. Roger had bigger problems to persuade. A squire from a backwards fief was not a concern of the King of Tortall.  
"That pleases me. I hope you will continue to please me."  
Gary knelt, a sign of allegiance. His squire stood, violet orbs burning into Roger. Alan might prove to be more trouble than Roger had thought.  
Gary's eyes flicked onto Alan. He urged the boy with his mind to obey. Roger was dangerous. Gary didn't understand what had happened in the Black City, but Alan knew. Alan knew too much. And if Roger found out how much Alan knew... Gary shuddered, and caught the almost-human stare of Faithful, Alan's most prized possession. Not that he owned Faithful. Faithful did what he wanted, when he wanted. So did Alan.  
The cat stretched out and rolled onto Alan's knees. Gary guessed he was pushing, and was thankful for the cat. Alan's mouth tightened, and he dropped to the floor. Gary breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Roger had been busy with a serving maid.  
"Your Majesty, if we might excuse ourselves? Only, I had promised Father-"  
That did it. Roger was eager to please Duke Gareth, the Elder. He waved his hand at the two, and they left, grateful.  
Gary turned to Alan, once out of the throne room. "Tell me what you know."  
*  
Um, yeah! 


	2. Even randomer

Alanna looked into Gary's serious brown eyes, and then flicked her gaze away. Those eyes used to be kind, used to dance, used to _laugh._

'My friend,' she thought ruefully. 'What has he done to you?'

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said gruffly, burying her sorrow.

"Alan, I know-"

"What I'm going through?" she finished with a dry laugh. "I don't think you do. You know nothing."

"Alan, if you let us-"

Impatiently, she broke in again. He obviously didn't know a thing about her, or he wouldn't have offered Raoul and Alex's help as well. "Will that be all? I've got to visit a sick relative in the city, right away."

His light brown brows rose as he regarded her carefully. She tried not to hold her breath. She hadn't been out of the castle for months. Perhaps it was this that swayed him from persuading her to stay, or perhaps Roger had stolen his argumentative tongue along with his happiness. At last, he sighed. "Fine. Go visit your cousin. Send my regards," he called, as she flew down the stairs towards the stable.

*

"Alanna." The shock in the woman's face was evident. Alanna didn't blame her. She hadn't been near Eleni Cooper, or her son, for ages. Ever since the…

"Can I come in?" she asked timidly. Gary had thought she was going to visit George. She had let him. Some things were easier unexplained.

Eleni stepped back to allow the young squire past. Alanna sat at the table, whilst Eleni fiddled with the catch. A long silence followed, in which Eleni busied herself making cups of tea. Alanna tried to stop the apprehension stirring in her stomach.

"I suppose you're wondering why I haven't visited in so long," Alanna began eventually.

"No. I know why you haven't been here. My son, however, is anxious."

Alanna fingered the cup that had been passed to her during the quiet. "How is George?"

Eleni's sharp hazel eyes pierced Alanna's. "I thought I was a healer, not a messenger carrier. Ask him yourself."

The redhead's gaze dropped. She struggled with her tongue for a few minutes, before words virtually burst out. "I should never have switched with Thom."

Eleni was indifferent to this abrupt change of subject, or kept her surprise a secret, which was more likely. "Oh? Why not?"

Violet eyes welled up. "I couldn't save him! I was too weak. He jumbled some words together… There was an explosion… I should have saved him! If I'd been a boy, I would have been able to!" Alanna slammed her fist down onto the table in frustration, spilling her tea over the white tablecloth.

Eleni's arms were around the sobbing girl. "Now, shush. It's not true. The Prince died because the King up yonder set a trap. Demons are tricky things to play with. Would your Prince have wanted you to blame yourself?"

"Blame is where blame lies," Alanna quoted.

"Exactly," Eleni agreed. "And it doesn't lie with you."

"How do you know that?"

"You were trying to save him. Therefore, you didn't kill him. So, you're not to blame. If you desperately want lay blame, his Majesty takes full responsibility for the murders of his cousin, aunt and uncle."

Alanna sniffed and wiped her eyes. Slowly, she nodded. "They're all so different now. Raoul's not as kind, Gary's so solemn…"

"Deaths change people, Alanna. Things are never the same. You can't expect it to be exactly like it was, but without the Prince. I wager that they're hurting just as much. Don't push them away."

Alanna looked down, feeling guilty.

A yowl came from her bag. Confused, she leant down and pulled it open. Faithful leapt out. Eleni laughed.

"Going to introduce me to this lovely young cat, Alanna?"

Alanna grinned.

*

© Rose Leanton.

*

I know, it's short, it's weird, it's OOC. Got a new complaint?

Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I was bored; it was the teacher strike today. But, I have a flute lesson in 5 mins, which is why this is so short. 


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